Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025

Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025 | Geriatric Surgery, Perioperative Care, Frailty, Delirium, Dementia, Polypharmacy, Prehabilitation, Falls Prevention & Age-Friendly Surgical Care

The Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025 course provides a comprehensive, evidence-based educational review of the unique medical, surgical, functional, and psychosocial needs of older adults undergoing surgical procedures. Developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals and offered by Brigham and Women's Hospital, this two-day educational program brings together experts in surgery, geriatric medicine, anesthesiology, palliative care, rehabilitation, perioperative medicine, nursing, and healthcare delivery. Held May 22–23, 2025, the program examines practical approaches to improving surgical outcomes in older adults through age-friendly clinical care, perioperative risk assessment, delirium prevention, medication optimization, mobility preservation, prehabilitation, and patient-centered decision-making. In the United States, approximately 40% of inpatient procedures are performed on adults aged 65 years and older. At major Mass General Brigham trauma centers, more than half of injured patients are older adults, many of whom experience frailty and complex medical conditions. These demographic changes highlight the need for surgical clinicians to understand geriatric syndromes, age-related physiological changes, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, functional vulnerability, and the importance of individualized treatment goals. The Mass General Brigham Geriatric Surgery 2025 curriculum is organized around the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework, incorporating the four core Ms — Medication, Mobility, Mentation, and What Matters — together with Multicomplexity. The course emphasizes clinical strategies to reduce preventable complications, including postoperative delirium, falls, infections, functional decline, prolonged hospitalization, readmissions, and caregiver burden. Through expert-led presentations, clinical case discussions, multidisciplinary workshops, and practical care-planning exercises, this program provides an educational framework for integrating geriatric principles into surgical practice.

Course Details

• Course: Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025
• Official Program: Perioperative Care of the Older Adult
• Academic Institution: Harvard Medical School
• Offered By: Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Healthcare System: Mass General Brigham
• Department: Department of Surgery / Center for Geriatric Surgery
• Dates: May 22–23, 2025
• Official Course Format: Continuing Medical Education Program
• Duration: Two Days
• Primary Specialty: Geriatric Medicine
• Additional Focus: General Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Internal Medicine
• Language: English
• Educational Focus: Age-Friendly Surgery and Geriatric Perioperative Care
• Curriculum Framework: Medication, Mobility, Mentation, What Matters and Multicomplexity
• Educational Methods: Expert Lectures, Case-Based Workshops, Clinical Discussions and Multidisciplinary Panels

The original course provides structured education on integrating geriatric assessment and management into surgical workflows. Publisher registration, official educational credits, certificates, and account access are separate from educational files distributed through MedicalAmboss.

Target Audience

The program is designed for surgical clinicians and healthcare professionals involved in the evaluation, treatment, and recovery of older adults undergoing surgery. The target audience includes:

• General Surgeons
• Trauma Surgeons
• Orthopedic Surgeons
• Anesthesiologists
• Geriatricians
• Palliative Care Specialists
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
• Perioperative Medicine Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Hospitalists
• Surgical Residents
• Geriatric Medicine Fellows
• Surgical Advanced Practice Providers
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners
• Registered Nurses
• Rehabilitation Specialists
• Physical Therapists
• Care Coordinators
• Other Healthcare Professionals Involved in Older Adult Surgical Care

The course is particularly relevant to clinicians seeking to improve perioperative safety, reduce postoperative complications, optimize functional recovery, and provide patient-centered surgical care for older adults.

Program Overview

Older surgical patients frequently present with combinations of frailty, multiple chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, mobility limitations, medication-related risks, and complex social support needs. These factors can increase the likelihood of postoperative delirium, falls, prolonged hospital stays, loss of independence, readmission, and other adverse outcomes. The Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025 program addresses these challenges through a multidisciplinary review of age-friendly surgical care. The curriculum covers:

• Age-Friendly Surgical Care
• Geriatric Surgical Assessment
• The 4Ms Framework
• Multicomplexity
• Frailty
• Dementia
• Postoperative Delirium
• Delirium Prevention
• Falls and Fracture Risk
• Mobility Preservation
• Rehabilitation
• Prehabilitation
• Medication Reconciliation
• Polypharmacy
• Deprescribing
• Beers Criteria
• Anesthesia in Older Adults
• Geriatric Pain Management
• Serious Illness Conversations
• Goals of Care
• Patient Preferences
• Caregiver Support
• Shared Decision-Making
• Safe Transitions of Care
• Geriatric Surgery Care Models
• Multidisciplinary Perioperative Management

The educational structure combines lectures, interactive case-based workshops, faculty discussions, and practical approaches to implementing age-friendly surgical care pathways.

Learning Objectives

After completing the original educational activity, participants should be better able to:

1. Describe and apply the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework — Medication, Mobility, Mentation, and What Matters — while incorporating Multicomplexity into the care of older surgical patients.
2. Perform structured delirium assessments, investigate precipitating factors, recognize underlying etiologies, and develop safe non-pharmacological and, when necessary, pharmacological management strategies.
3. Recognize clinical risk factors for falls, fractures, and functional decline and develop practical approaches to prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and postoperative mobility optimization.
4. Conduct comprehensive medication reconciliation, recognize potentially inappropriate medications using established tools such as the Beers Criteria, and apply appropriate deprescribing principles.
5. Assess patients' goals, values, treatment preferences, and priorities and integrate these considerations into surgical decision-making.
6. Recognize the relationship between common geriatric syndromes, including frailty and dementia, and adverse postoperative outcomes.
7. Coordinate safe transitions of care and engage patients, caregivers, surrogates, and multidisciplinary healthcare teams before, during, and after surgery.
8. Apply practical approaches to perioperative assessment, anesthesia-related considerations, pain management, and prevention of hospitalization-associated complications in older adults.
9. Identify opportunities to implement evidence-informed geriatric surgical care models that support improved safety, function, and patient-centered outcomes.

These objectives reflect the supplied course goals and the educational themes documented in the 2025 program.

Official Program Topics

Day 1 – Thursday, May 22, 2025

All times are Eastern Time.

Session I – Age-Friendly Surgical Care

Keynote: Surgery in Older Adults: An Age-Friendly Approach

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Faculty: Zara Cooper, MD, MSc This opening keynote examines the clinical importance of developing age-friendly surgical services for the growing population of older adults. The presentation introduces principles of geriatric surgical care and the importance of aligning surgical treatment with patients' medical conditions, functional status, and individual priorities. Important considerations include:

• Age-Friendly Surgery
• Older Adult Surgical Population
• Geriatric Syndromes
• Surgical Risk Assessment
• Multimorbidity
• Frailty
• Functional Vulnerability
• Patient-Centered Care
• Perioperative Safety
• Surgical Outcomes
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration
• Age-Friendly Clinical Pathways

The keynote establishes the importance of incorporating geriatric principles into routine surgical decision-making.

Session II – Mentation and Cognitive Health

Mentation: Preventing and Addressing Delirium in Surgical Patients

9:30 AM – 10:10 AM Faculty: Sevdenur Cizginer Konuk, MD, MPH, AGSF This session reviews the recognition, prevention, evaluation, and management of delirium in older surgical patients. Postoperative delirium is an important complication associated with cognitive dysfunction, prolonged hospitalization, loss of functional independence, and other adverse outcomes. Important topics include:

• Postoperative Delirium
• Delirium Risk Factors
• Cognitive Screening
• Delirium Assessment
• Acute Changes in Mental Status
• Precipitating Factors
• Medication-Associated Delirium
• Infection and Metabolic Causes
• Non-Pharmacological Prevention
• Orientation and Sleep Preservation
• Early Mobility
• Family Engagement
• Management Strategies

The educational emphasis is on timely recognition and safe management of delirium throughout the surgical continuum.

Case-Based Workshop: Delirium and Dementia Surgical Cases

10:10 AM – 10:55 AM Faculty:

• Deborah Lee, MD
• Sharon Levine, MD, AGSF

This interactive workshop applies clinical principles to surgical cases involving delirium and dementia. Important considerations include:

• Delirium Versus Dementia
• Preoperative Cognitive Assessment
• Baseline Cognitive Impairment
• Risk Stratification
• Postoperative Mental Status Changes
• Recognition of Reversible Causes
• Medication Review
• Safe Care Planning
• Family and Caregiver Involvement
• Multidisciplinary Treatment

The case-based format supports practical diagnostic and management decisions.

Session III – Patient Priorities and Surgical Decisions

What Matters Most: Addressing Goals and Priorities for Surgical Patients

10:55 AM – 11:35 AM Faculty: Elizabeth Lilley, MD, MPH This presentation examines the importance of identifying what matters most to older patients before proceeding with surgical interventions. Important clinical considerations include:

• Patient Values
• Goals of Care
• Shared Decision-Making
• Quality of Life
• Functional Priorities
• Treatment Preferences
• Surgical Risk-Benefit Discussions
• Serious Illness Communication
• Patient Autonomy
• Alignment of Treatment With Patient Goals

The session emphasizes incorporating patient priorities into surgical planning and postoperative care decisions.

Session IV – Frailty and Functional Vulnerability

Frailty in Older Surgical Patients

12:20 PM – 1:00 PM Faculty: Ariela Orkaby, MD, MPH This session reviews frailty and its importance in geriatric surgical risk assessment. Frailty reflects increased physiological vulnerability and may be associated with greater susceptibility to postoperative complications and functional decline. Important considerations include:

• Frailty Definition
• Clinical Recognition
• Frailty Screening
• Functional Assessment
• Physiological Reserve
• Multimorbidity
• Surgical Risk
• Postoperative Complications
• Functional Decline
• Risk Stratification
• Individualized Treatment Planning

The presentation emphasizes the clinical importance of incorporating frailty into preoperative evaluation.

Case-Based Workshop: Supporting Caregivers and Surrogates Before, During and After Surgery

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Faculty:

• Zara Cooper, MD, MSc
• Tamryn Fowler Gray, PhD, RN, MPH

This workshop examines caregiver and surrogate involvement throughout the surgical process. Important areas include:

• Caregiver Support
• Surrogate Decision-Making
• Family Communication
• Preoperative Planning
• Postoperative Support
• Shared Decision-Making
• Patient Preferences
• Caregiver Burden
• Discharge Planning
• Home Recovery
• Coordination of Care

The workshop highlights the importance of addressing both patient and caregiver needs.

Session V – Mobility and Rehabilitation

Rehab, Prehab, and Falls: Optimizing Mobility Throughout the Surgical Continuum

1:45 PM – 2:25 PM Faculty:

• Julia Loewenthal, MD
• Nancy Latham, PhD, PT

This session reviews mobility preservation and rehabilitation strategies for older surgical patients. Important topics include:

• Mobility Assessment
• Functional Status
• Falls Risk
• Fracture Risk
• Prehabilitation
• Postoperative Rehabilitation
• Muscle Strength
• Balance
• Early Mobilization
• Functional Recovery
• Physical Therapy
• Fall Prevention

The presentation emphasizes maintaining mobility and reducing avoidable functional decline before and after surgery.

Session VI – Multicomplexity and Care Delivery

Multicomplexity: Considering Transitions of Care and Payment Models for Geriatric Surgery Patients

2:40 PM – 3:20 PM Faculty: Esteban Franco-Garcia, MD, AGSF This session examines the challenges associated with managing older surgical patients with multiple concurrent medical, functional, and social care needs. Important considerations include:

• Multicomplexity
• Multimorbidity
• Healthcare Coordination
• Transitions of Care
• Hospital Discharge
• Rehabilitation Placement
• Care Delivery Models
• Payment Models
• Readmission Risk
• Multidisciplinary Care Planning

The presentation explores how healthcare systems can better coordinate care for complex geriatric surgical patients.

Case-Based Workshop: Serious Illness Conversations: A Guide for Communication About Goals of Care

3:20 PM – 4:05 PM Faculty:

• Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS
• Elizabeth Lilley, MD, MPH

This interactive workshop explores clinical communication with older adults facing serious illness and difficult surgical decisions. Important topics include:

• Serious Illness Conversations
• Goals-of-Care Discussions
• Prognostic Communication
• Patient Values
• Shared Decision-Making
• Advance Care Planning
• Treatment Preferences
• Family Participation
• Surrogate Decision-Making
• Palliative Care Integration

The session emphasizes compassionate, structured, and patient-centered communication.

Day 2 – Friday, May 23, 2025

Session VII – Multicomplexity in Geriatric Surgery

Introduction to Day 2: Navigating Multicomplexity in Older Surgical Patients

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Faculty: Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS The second day introduces additional clinical and organizational challenges in the perioperative care of older adults. The discussion emphasizes coordination of medical, surgical, geriatric, and psychosocial care needs.

Session VIII – Preoperative Evaluation

Peri-Operative Evaluation of Geriatric Surgery Patients

9:15 AM – 9:55 AM Faculty:

• Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS
• Christy Cauley, MD, MPH

This presentation reviews important elements of preoperative evaluation in older adults. Key considerations include:

• Comprehensive Preoperative Assessment
• Medical Comorbidities
• Frailty
• Cognitive Function
• Functional Status
• Medication Review
• Nutritional Assessment
• Surgical Risk Stratification
• Patient Goals
• Perioperative Planning
• Multidisciplinary Evaluation

The session emphasizes identifying modifiable risks and integrating geriatric considerations into surgical preparation.

Case-Based Workshop: Pre-Operative Evaluation and Pre-Habilitation

9:55 AM – 10:40 AM Faculty:

• Christy Cauley, MD, MPH
• Esteban Franco-Garcia, MD, AGSF

This interactive workshop applies preoperative geriatric assessment and prehabilitation concepts to clinical cases. Important topics include:

• Preoperative Risk Assessment
• Frailty Screening
• Functional Optimization
• Prehabilitation
• Mobility Improvement
• Nutritional Considerations
• Patient Education
• Clinical Risk Modification
• Surgical Preparation
• Individualized Perioperative Planning

The workshop emphasizes practical interventions that may improve patients' readiness for surgery.

Session IX – Medication Optimization

Medications: Polypharmacy and Deprescribing for Surgical Patients

10:40 AM – 11:20 AM Faculty: Laura Frain, MD, MPH This session reviews medication-related risks in older surgical patients. Polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use can contribute to adverse drug events, falls, delirium, and other complications. Important considerations include:

• Polypharmacy
• Medication Reconciliation
• Potentially Inappropriate Medications
• Beers Criteria
• Medication-Related Delirium
• Drug Interactions
• Anticholinergic Burden
• Sedative Medications
• Deprescribing
• Perioperative Medication Management
• Medication Safety
• Individualized Prescribing

The presentation emphasizes safe, evidence-informed medication optimization.

Case-Based Workshop: Medications: Geriatric Surgical Cases

11:20 AM – 12:05 PM Faculty:

• Andrea Wershof Schwartz, MD, MPH
• Lynne O'Mara, MBA, MPAS, PA-C

This workshop examines medication management challenges through geriatric surgical cases. The session applies practical principles involving:

• Medication Reconciliation
• Polypharmacy Assessment
• High-Risk Medications
• Adverse Drug Effects
• Deprescribing Decisions
• Medication Safety
• Perioperative Medication Review
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration

The case-based approach emphasizes individualized medication decisions.

Session X – Anesthesia and Pain Management

Anesthesia and Pain Management in Older Surgical Patients

12:50 PM – 1:30 PM Faculty: Matthew B. Allen, MD This presentation reviews anesthesia and pain management considerations in older surgical patients. Important topics include:

• Geriatric Anesthesia
• Age-Related Physiological Changes
• Perioperative Risk
• Analgesic Selection
• Medication Sensitivity
• Postoperative Pain
• Opioid-Related Risks
• Multimodal Analgesia
• Delirium Risk
• Patient Monitoring
• Individualized Pain Management

The session emphasizes balancing adequate pain control with medication safety and prevention of postoperative complications.

Case-Based Workshop: Surgical Pain Management for Older Adults

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM Faculty:

• Matthew B. Allen, MD
• Alexander B. Stone, MD

This interactive workshop examines practical pain management decisions in geriatric surgical cases. Important considerations include:

• Postoperative Analgesia
• Multimodal Pain Management
• Opioid Stewardship
• Medication Side Effects
• Pain Assessment
• Delirium Prevention
• Sedation Risks
• Individualized Treatment Plans
• Functional Recovery
• Patient Comfort

The workshop supports safe and effective pain management strategies for older adults.

Session XI – Implementation of Geriatric Surgical Care Models

Panel Discussion: Implementing Geriatric Surgery Care Models

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Faculty:

• Amy Bulger, MPH, RN, GERO-BC, CPHQ
• Lynne O'Mara, MBA, MPAS, PA-C
• Houman Javedan, MD
• Masaya Higuchi, MD, MPH, CMD, AGSF
• Nicole Genovese, PharmD, BCGP

This multidisciplinary panel examines opportunities to implement geriatric-focused surgical care models. Important themes include:

• Age-Friendly Surgical Programs
• Multidisciplinary Care
• Geriatric Co-Management
• Clinical Pathway Development
• Quality Improvement
• Medication Safety
• Care Transitions
• Functional Outcomes
• Healthcare Delivery
• Patient-Centered Care
• Implementation Challenges
• Sustainable Clinical Practice

The panel highlights practical approaches to incorporating geriatric principles into healthcare systems.

Course Wrap-Up

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Faculty:

• Andrea Wershof Schwartz, MD, MPH
• Julia Loewenthal, MD

The concluding session reviews major educational themes and their practical implications for caring for older surgical patients.

Major Topics Covered

• Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025
• Perioperative Care of the Older Adult
• Geriatric Surgery
• Age-Friendly Surgery
• Geriatric Medicine
• Perioperative Medicine
• Trauma Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Risk Assessment
• The 4Ms Framework
• Multicomplexity
• Medication Optimization
• Mobility
• Mentation
• What Matters
• Frailty
• Dementia
• Postoperative Delirium
• Delirium Prevention
• Cognitive Assessment
• Falls Prevention
• Fracture Risk
• Prehabilitation
• Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapy
• Functional Decline
• Polypharmacy
• Medication Reconciliation
• Beers Criteria
• Deprescribing
• Geriatric Anesthesia
• Postoperative Pain Management
• Multimodal Analgesia
• Opioid Stewardship
• Goals of Care
• Serious Illness Conversations
• Advance Care Planning
• Shared Decision-Making
• Palliative Care
• Caregiver Support
• Surrogate Decision-Making
• Safe Transitions of Care
• Hospital Discharge Planning
• Geriatric Co-Management
• Clinical Pathways
• Quality Improvement
• Patient-Centered Surgery
• Functional Recovery
• Multidisciplinary Surgical Care

Age-Friendly Surgery and the 5Ms Framework

Age-friendly surgical care emphasizes the unique needs of older adults and the importance of integrating geriatric principles into clinical practice. The course uses four established Age-Friendly Health Systems domains together with Multicomplexity. Medication Optimize medication safety, reduce inappropriate prescribing, and identify opportunities for deprescribing. Mobility Preserve functional independence, prevent falls, and support rehabilitation before and after surgery. Mentation Recognize cognitive impairment, prevent delirium, and manage mental status changes. What Matters Identify patient priorities, treatment preferences, and goals of care. Multicomplexity Address the interacting medical, functional, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges experienced by older surgical patients. These principles provide a foundation for individualized surgical planning and coordinated postoperative care.

Frailty and Geriatric Surgical Risk

Frailty is an important risk factor in older surgical patients. It may be associated with increased vulnerability to physiological stress, postoperative complications, prolonged hospitalization, and functional decline. The course addresses:

• Recognition of Frailty
• Functional Assessment
• Risk Stratification
• Preoperative Evaluation
• Physiological Reserve
• Surgical Decision-Making
• Postoperative Recovery
• Patient-Centered Risk Discussions

Understanding frailty supports more individualized assessment and perioperative planning.

Postoperative Delirium and Dementia

Delirium is an important postoperative complication in older adults. Its development may be influenced by pre-existing cognitive impairment, medication exposure, infection, pain, sleep disruption, and other factors. The course reviews:

• Delirium Screening
• Dementia Assessment
• Clinical Risk Factors
• Prevention Strategies
• Non-Pharmacological Management
• Investigation of Precipitating Causes
• Medication Review
• Family Involvement
• Multidisciplinary Management

The curriculum emphasizes prevention and timely recognition of cognitive complications.

Medication Safety and Deprescribing

Older surgical patients frequently receive multiple medications for chronic conditions. Polypharmacy can increase the risk of adverse drug events, falls, delirium, and treatment interactions. The program examines:

• Medication Reconciliation
• Beers Criteria
• Potentially Inappropriate Medications
• Drug Interactions
• Anticholinergic Burden
• Sedative Medication Risks
• Deprescribing Strategies
• Perioperative Medication Optimization

These topics support safer prescribing and medication-related clinical decision-making.

Prehabilitation, Rehabilitation and Falls Prevention

Maintaining mobility and physical function is an important component of geriatric surgical care. The course examines interventions intended to reduce functional decline and improve recovery. Important areas include:

• Prehabilitation
• Postoperative Rehabilitation
• Falls Risk Assessment
• Physical Therapy
• Strength and Balance
• Early Mobilization
• Functional Recovery
• Safe Discharge Planning

These strategies are relevant throughout the surgical continuum.

Anesthesia and Pain Management in Older Adults

Anesthesia and postoperative analgesia require special consideration in older adults because of age-related physiological changes, comorbidities, and differences in medication tolerance. The program addresses:

• Perioperative Anesthesia Assessment
• Geriatric Pain Management
• Multimodal Analgesia
• Opioid-Related Risks
• Medication Safety
• Delirium Considerations
• Patient Monitoring
• Individualized Treatment Decisions

The educational emphasis is on effective symptom management while minimizing avoidable adverse effects.

Goals of Care and Serious Illness Communication

Surgical interventions should be considered in the context of individual patient goals, expected benefits, possible complications, and functional outcomes. The course includes dedicated sessions and workshops on:

• Shared Decision-Making
• Serious Illness Conversations
• Patient Values
• Treatment Preferences
• Prognostic Communication
• Caregiver Involvement
• Surrogate Decision-Making
• Palliative Care
• Advance Care Planning

These discussions support ethically appropriate and patient-centered surgical decisions.

Transitions of Care and Healthcare Coordination

Older surgical patients may require complex transitions between hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home healthcare, and outpatient services. Poorly coordinated transitions may contribute to medication errors, readmissions, and gaps in care. The program explores:

• Discharge Planning
• Care Coordination
• Medication Communication
• Rehabilitation Needs
• Caregiver Preparation
• Multidisciplinary Follow-Up
• Quality Improvement
• Continuity of Care

The aim is to support safer and more effective care transitions.

Implementing Geriatric Surgical Care Models

Healthcare systems are increasingly incorporating age-friendly principles into surgical services. Important implementation considerations include:

• Geriatric Co-Management
• Multidisciplinary Teams
• Clinical Pathways
• Standardized Assessment
• Delirium Prevention
• Medication Optimization
• Mobility Programs
• Patient-Centered Outcomes
• Quality Measurement
• Care Delivery Improvement

The course includes a dedicated panel examining implementation of geriatric surgical care models.

Course Leadership

The educational program is associated with faculty and leadership from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mass General Brigham.

Zara Cooper, MD, MSc

• Director, Center for Geriatric Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
• Leadership in geriatric surgery and surgical outcomes research

Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS

• Leadership in care transformation, serious illness communication, and palliative care
• Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Harvard Medical School Faculty

Julia Loewenthal, MD

• Geriatrician, Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Harvard Medical School Faculty

Andrea Wershof Schwartz, MD, MPH

• Geriatrician, Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Featured Faculty

The 2025 program includes multidisciplinary contributors such as:

• Zara Cooper, MD, MSc
• Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS
• Julia Loewenthal, MD
• Andrea Wershof Schwartz, MD, MPH
• Sevdenur Cizginer Konuk, MD, MPH, AGSF
• Deborah Lee, MD
• Sharon Levine, MD, AGSF
• Elizabeth Lilley, MD, MPH
• Ariela Orkaby, MD, MPH
• Tamryn Fowler Gray, PhD, RN, MPH
• Nancy Latham, PhD, PT
• Esteban Franco-Garcia, MD, AGSF
• Christy Cauley, MD, MPH
• Laura Frain, MD, MPH
• Lynne O'Mara, MBA, MPAS, PA-C
• Matthew B. Allen, MD
• Alexander B. Stone, MD
• Amy Bulger, MPH, RN, GERO-BC, CPHQ
• Houman Javedan, MD
• Masaya Higuchi, MD, MPH, CMD, AGSF
• Nicole Genovese, PharmD, BCGP

The faculty represent surgery, geriatric medicine, anesthesiology, rehabilitation, palliative care, pharmacy, nursing, and healthcare delivery.

Continuing Medical Education

The original Mass General Brigham / Harvard Medical School continuing education program was designed to support the professional development of clinicians caring for older surgical patients. The organizer administers official educational accreditation, course evaluations, and any applicable professional credit claims.

Important CME Notice

The original educational program and its accreditation requirements are separate from MedicalAmboss digital product purchases. Purchasing separately distributed educational files through MedicalAmboss does not provide:

• Harvard Medical School CME Credits
• Official Completion Certificates
• Harvard Course Registration
• Live Conference Attendance
• Publisher Streaming Access
• Official Harvard Accounts
• Publisher Memberships
• Publisher-Hosted Educational Extras

Why This Course Is Relevant

The Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025 course addresses the growing need for healthcare professionals to recognize and manage age-related vulnerabilities among surgical patients. Older adults frequently experience increased surgical risk due to frailty, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, and reduced functional reserve. The course provides an integrated educational review of:

• Geriatric Surgical Assessment
• Frailty
• Delirium
• Dementia
• Falls and Fractures
• Medication Safety
• Prehabilitation
• Rehabilitation
• Anesthesia
• Postoperative Pain
• Goals of Care
• Caregiver Support
• Care Transitions
• Age-Friendly Surgical Pathways

Its multidisciplinary curriculum is particularly relevant to general surgeons, trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, geriatricians, palliative care clinicians, and rehabilitation specialists. The educational program emphasizes practical strategies that can help clinicians improve patient safety, preserve function, support recovery, and align surgical care with the priorities of older adults.

Official Program Reference and MedicalAmboss Purchase Scope

Official Harvard Medical School Program: https://cmecatalog.hms.harvard.edu/perioperative-care-older-adult Official 2025 Course Agenda: https://cmecatalog.hms.harvard.edu/courses/perioperative-care-older-adult-overview/perioperative-care-older-adult-agenda These references describe the original educational activity, including its scheduled sessions, faculty, and educational focus. They do not establish the exact inventory of files included in a separately distributed MedicalAmboss product. MedicalAmboss File Scope: This listing describes the educational subject matter for reference. Provider registration, live attendance, streaming-platform access, CME or other credit, certificates, memberships, apps, accounts, and publisher-hosted extras are not included unless explicitly listed as store files.

Short Description

<div style="border:2px solid #1677b8;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;background:#f7fbfe;"> Mass General Brigham Geriatrics for Surgical Clinicians 2025 provides a comprehensive, evidence-based review of geriatric surgical care, perioperative risk assessment, frailty, delirium prevention, dementia, medication optimization, prehabilitation, postoperative rehabilitation, and age-friendly care models. The May 22–23, 2025 program features Harvard-affiliated faculty discussing practical approaches to caring for older surgical patients, including the 4Ms framework, multicomplexity, surgical pain management, falls prevention, goals of care, caregiver support, and safe transitions of care.

Topics

• Keynote: Surgery in Older Adults: An Age-Friendly Approach
• Mentation: Preventing and Addressing Delirium in Surgical Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Delirium and Dementia in Surgical Cases
• What Matters Most: Addressing Goals and Priorities for Surgical Patients
• Frailty in Older Surgical Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Supporting Caregivers and Surrogates Before, During, and After Surgery
• Rehab, Prehab and Falls: Optimizing Mobility Throughout the Surgical Continuum
• Multicomplexity: Considering Transitions of Care and Payment Models for Geriatric Surgery Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Serious Illness Conversations: A Guide for Communication About Goals of Care
• Perioperative Care for the Older Adult (Day 1 & Day 2 General Sessions)
• Introduction to Day 2: Navigating Multicomplexity in Older Surgical Patients
• Peri-operative Evaluation of Geriatric Surgery Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Pre-operative Evaluation and Pre-habilitation
• Medications: Polypharmacy and Deprescribing for Surgical Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Medications: Geriatric Surgical Cases
• Anesthesia and Pain Management in Older Surgical Patients
• Case-based Workshop: Surgical Pain Management for Older Adults
• Panel Discussion
• Course Wrap Up